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My little space on the web where I blog about comics and comic books, drawing and illustration, graphic design, writing stories, and a few tips and tutorials from time to time about them. I'll also share bits about movies, theater, music, (maybe even cooking!) and whatever strikes my fancy.

It Had To Come To This

In January 2017, I posted a note on Facebook where I talked about quitting comics. That post got a lot of exposure, more than what any of my posts usually get. With that kind of response, one would think that there's still hope.

Unless a miracle happens, I'll be stopping after Zaturnnah sa Maynila. Making comics has been an interesting roller coaster ride, with its highest of highs and lowest of lows. Thanks to everyone who supported me every step of the way. May you be blessed always..

Note that I'm still wishing that a miracle would happen, though miracles tend to be, well, rare.

I've wrestled with this over the past two years to the point of depression. Yes, that's how much making comics, a twenty-plus-year relationship, meant to me. When I would be that close to throwing in the towel, something surprising would happen, a sort of sign that would prop me up into trying again.

Just this year, I did a bunch of pages for Zaturnnah in Maynila part three. I finished the English translation of the first book (just the script; the artwork's another thing entirely), the screenplay for the film reboot, and squeezed in a translation for that as well. Zaturnnah was also featured in the marketing materials of fashion brand Tygie, A major highlight of the year was the Zaturnnah art and furniture exhibit of Space Encounters. So many good things.

But the issue of money has always been a thorn. It's hard to make pages when you get a disconnection notice, when there's nothing much in the fridge, when there are other people depending on you financially.

These past few weeks, I came up with another business model for comics, based on a few strategies I've tested. While fiddling with Google sheets and prepping the slides, I paused and thought, "What am I doing? What's this for?"

One of the slides...

Correction: I know what I was doing. I was trying to solve a problem. Get my thoughts down and organized. I was honestly excited about the plan. But, the realist knocked the hell out of the idealist. It's not gonna work. No one will take this plan seriously.

So... I'm done. In marketing speak, there's very little demand for what I have to offer. More people talk about my theater work than my comics work. So my last comics projects will be Zaturnnah sa Maynila, and posting the first book online.

There are so many issues and concerns tied to this, not just about me but the entire comics scene and the market, issues I'd rather not talk about anymore because nobody really listens. I've already said so much over the past years, some of which I wish I could take back. Right now, the last thing I want to be is a bitter ranter.

What will I be doing next? Well, I've got a list. At least I'll be having more time.

So to those who supported me and my comics through thick and thin, thank you. Zaturnnah thanks you.

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I'm opening up my schedule to accept art and design commissions! This is to ensure that I don't end up as a starving artist. Har har. :-)

While I prefer to draw feminine forms and poses, I'm also open to drawing male characters. However, I won't be able to accommodate highly detailed characters (like Swamp Thing, or Michael Bay's Transformers designs). The images above show my default art style. It's similar to the styles of Frank Cho, Adam Hughes, and Terry Dodson.

I don't accept caricatures or portraits. I can't guarantee that I'll be able to copy accurately.

Below are the details for art commissions. These are rates for non-commercial artwork.

There are a lot of people who want to make comics, or have tried to make comics but end up frustrated. I certainly struggled some when I started out, and it's no secret that there have been bumps on the road now and then.

I'm just curious to find out from you: What aspects of making stories and comics do you find yourself struggling with?

If you write your questions in the comments section, I'll see if I could answer it.

It's been more than six months since I posted. I blame the time-sucking black hole that is social media. :-)

Here are some of the highlights from last year:
1) "I Heart Davao," the 40-episode television series aired on GMA 7. I was given the opportunity to write a number of episodes for that show, but I insisted that I could only do ten. My primary reason was that I had never written for television before, so I didn't want to dive headfirst into unfamiliar territory. Our headwriter was Chris Martinez, and the writing team had me, Dwein Baltazar, and Eljay Castro Deldoc. Our director was Marlon Rivera.

I wouldn't consider my experience as representative of what really goes on in television writing in the Philippines, but it was an eye-opener. I never imagined that I'd be able to write more than two hours worth of script (five episodes) in two weeks. It was thrilling, to say the least, seeing how the script was brought to life in the finished product.

I've had a long and fruitful career in graphic design, article writing, and magazine art direction, and I've dabbled in theatre acting, playwriting, and teaching in university. But Fate led me to making comics, where I've found unexpected and flattering success.